GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Plans to convert the former Riverside Elementary School into a senior housing facility moved forward on Thursday, June 5, when the city’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority approved the $6 million project for tax breaks worth up to $861,500.
Lou J. Andriotti, President and CEO of Vista Springs, LLC,, said he hopes to convert the 60-year-old building at 2420 Coit Avenue NE into a 43-unit senior housing project that will create 50 new jobs. The school building has been closed since 2011.
Andriotti said he hopes to begin construction this month with completion by the end of 2015.
Vista Springs Living, which has redeveloped a similar facility at the former Taft Elementary School in Wyoming, also operates a 40-unit Northview Woods facility less than three miles away.
Andriotti said he plans to change the look of the school building to eliminate the flat institutional roofs and make it look more residential. The playground area on the 7-acre site may be donated to the city for parks or converted to a private park for residents, he said.
Besides life engagement activities and programs, the facility also will provide on-site services, including physical, speech, and occupational therapy.
Amenities will include a performing arts community theater with stage, bistro and fine dining restaurants, private dining club room for social gatherings, day spa, outdoor courtyard and café, and a community center for hosting large events, according to Vista Springs.
Vista Springs will host open house events to discuss their plans with neighbors between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 5 and Friday, June 6, Andriotti said.
Vista Springs acquired the property last December after a previous developer abandoned its plans to convert the school into a 60-unit senior housing project.
